NAGOYA, Japan – South Korea ended a 12-year wait for the Asian Games men’s basketball title after beating host Japan, 67-57, in the gold-medal game Sunday at Aichi International Arena.
Lee Hyun-jung powered South Korea with 27 points and 18 rebounds, including 13 points in a decisive third quarter that helped his team pull away.
The victory completed an unbeaten campaign for South Korea, which had also defeated Japan, 100-83, in the group stage.
The championship game proved far tighter and lower-scoring than their earlier meeting. Japan shot just 28 percent from the field in the first half, while South Korea managed 33 percent.
Japan led 16-12 after the opening quarter and stretched the advantage to seven early in the second before South Korea responded behind three-pointers from Choi Jun-yong and Lee Woo-suk.
South Korea outscored Japan 16-12 in the second period to tie the game at 28-all at halftime.
Lee Hyun-jung then took over in the third quarter, hitting three three-pointers as South Korea went 6-of-8 from beyond the arc in the period and built a 55-47 lead entering the fourth.
South Korea stayed in control from there. Lee Jung-hyun pushed the lead to 62-49 with 7:26 remaining, and Japan was unable to mount a late comeback after missing three consecutive three-point attempts in the closing minutes.
Lee Hyun-jung sealed the victory with two late free throws, while South Korea forced a turnover on Japan’s final possession.
The gold also added another Asian Games title to Lee’s family. His mother, Seong Jeong-a, helped South Korea win the women’s basketball gold at the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing.
